Joint hardware and controller design

Abstract

A method for designing a product comprising physical hardware and a controller for controlling the physical hardware includes generating a detailed hardware model describing the physical hardware and a controller model corresponding to the controller based on a set of user requirements. An optimal design of the physical hardware and the controller is determined by solving a multi-objective optimization problem comprising a first objective function defining hardware design objectives, and a second objective function defining objectives for the controller model for the physical hardware.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system for designing a product comprising physical hardware and a controller for controlling the physical hardware, wherein the system comprises:
 a computer-readable medium comprising a detailed hardware model corresponding to the physical hardware and a controller model corresponding to the controller; 
 a receiver module configured to receive one or more user requirements via a user input device; 
 an optimization module configured to jointly optimize the detailed hardware model and the controller model over a plurality of iterations, wherein each iteration comprises (i) optimizing of the detailed hardware model with respect to the one or more user requirements; (ii) matching the detailed hardware model to a reduced order model of the detailed hardware model; and (iii) optimizing the controller model with respect to the reduced order model of the detailed hardware model. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optimization module jointly optimizes the detailed hardware model and the controller model using a process comprising:
 determining an optimal design of the physical hardware and the controller by solving a multi-objective optimization problem comprising:
 a first objective function defining hardware design objectives, 
 a second objective function defining objectives for the controller model for the physical hardware, and 
 a third objective function that minimizes the differences between the reduced order model of the detailed hardware model and the detailed hardware model. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the detailed hardware model is a finite element model of the physical hardware. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the reduced order model of the detailed hardware model is a low-order linear model obtained through reduction of the finite element model of the physical hardware. 
     
     
       5. A method for designing a product comprising physical hardware and a controller for controlling the physical hardware, wherein the method comprises:
 generating a detailed hardware model corresponding to the physical hardware and a controller model corresponding to the controller; 
 receiving one or more user requirements via a user input device; 
 jointly optimizing the detailed hardware model and the controller over a plurality of iterations, wherein each iteration comprises (i) optimizing of the detailed hardware model with respect to one or more user requirements; (ii) matching of the detailed hardware model to a reduced order model of the detailed hardware model; and (iii) optimizing the controller model with respect to the reduced order model of the detailed hardware model. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the optimization module jointly optimizes the detailed hardware model and the controller model using a process comprising:
 determining an optimal design of the physical hardware and the controller by solving a multi-objective optimization problem comprising:
 a first objective function defining hardware design objectives, 
 a second objective function defining objectives for the controller model for the physical hardware, and 
 a third objective function that minimizes the differences between the reduced order model of the detailed hardware model and the detailed hardware model. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the detailed hardware model is a finite element model of the physical hardware. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the reduced order model of the detailed hardware model is a low-order linear model obtained through reduction of the finite element model of the physical hardware. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 5 , wherein generating the detailed hardware model comprises:
 using an optimization of the reduced order model is used to minimize an error between the detailed hardware model and the reduced order model.